I. Field of Use
The embodiments disclosed herein relates to the field transporting food and beverages. More specifically, several embodiments of an apparatus for transporting beverages is disclosed.
II. Description of the Related Art
In today's modern society, it has become commonplace to eat at fast-food establishments, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Restaurants and other retail establishments often offer drive-through service as well. It is not uncommon for someone to order multiple food and drink items at these establishments at once on behalf of other people. For example, a mother or father may stop at a fast food restaurant to pick up food and beverages for their family. In another example, an office worker may be given a multi-drink order by co-workers and stop at a coffee shop to pick up the order.
Typically, beverages served at fast-food establishments, coffee shops, and other retail establishments are served in a wide variety of disposable cups and accompanying lids. In other instances, patrons may bring their own cup into these establishments and have it filled with the beverage of their choice. In any case, when a patron orders multiple beverages at these establishments, they are often given a disposable drink carrier to more easily transport their beverages. Such drink carriers are widespread, disposable, and generally a standard size. For example, most disposable drink carriers today are made of recycled cardboard, paper, or the like, and formed into a square or semi-square shape approximately 8½ inches on each side. Typically, these beverage carriers comprise four recessed areas specially formed to secure cups. Most disposable cups served by fast-food restaurants today use standard-sized cups having the same or similar-sized lower portions, no matter how large the cup. Thus, these disposable drink carriers are well-suited to carry a variety of fast-food cup sizes.
The recessed areas in typical drink carriers are shaped to hold the cup firmly in place during beverage transport, while allowing easy removal once the beverages have arrived at a given destination. However, even though these popular beverage carriers are designed to hold beverages in place during transport, they are notorious for allowing drinks to become dislodged, for example, while negotiating turns in a vehicle. Especially problematic recently is the advent of very tall cups designed to hold large amounts of liquid. This design, coupled with the aforementioned standard-sized lower cup portion, renders them top heavy, easily becoming dislodged from their setting within beverage carriers and causing spills to occur.
Further, there is no provision designed into beverage carriers to prevent them from sliding around, for example, on vehicle seats, in vehicle trunks, or vehicle floors. Again, spills are commonplace as the carrier is free to slide around inside the vehicle interior.
Another disadvantage of these beverage carriers is that once a spill occurs, there is little or no provision to either catch the spilled liquid or provide a reservoir in which the spilled liquid can remain until it can be cleaned up. Furthermore, these beverage carriers do little insulate the beverages that they carry, allowing hot drinks to cool and cold drinks to warm.
It would be desirable to transport multiple beverages using these common beverage carriers while preventing the carriers from sliding inside vehicles. It would further be desirable to prevent beverages from tipping over while they are seated within beverage carriers. It would be still further desirable if spills would be contained so that they would not ruin vehicle interiors. Finally, it would desirable if multiple beverages could be transported using these beverage carriers, while helping to keep hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold.